Bristol hackathon set to boost five local charities

Designers, coders, testers, writers, social media whizzes and idea-machines are all invited for a day of good deeds at the launch of do_action Bristol this February 23 at co-working hub Desklodge.

The charity hackathon has spaces for volunteers to help build WordPress sites for five local charities and non-profits ranging from a new mental health phone-line for men to a play centre for disabled children – boosting their digital presence and allowing them to reach as many people in need as possible.

“We have an active WordPress community here who are eager to use their skills to build websites for local charities as a way of giving back”

An international initiative, the do_action day in Bristol is not just the first in the UK but the very first to take place in the whole of Europe.

Tess Coughlan-Allen (pictured left), Marketing Manager at Bristol-based Mind Doodle who’s co-organising the event along with Michael Burridge – a local web designer and developer at Zyriab, tells us: “do_action is coming to Bristol because we have an active WordPress community here who are eager to use their skills to build websites for local charities and non-profits as a way of giving back.

“We want to make sure that the hard-work and dedication of our local charities and non-profits are recognised and showcased through a good quality website. It’s also important to us to make sure this is done for free, allowing the organisation to spend their funds on their primary cause so that they can continue with the important work they do day-to-day.

“We’re currently accepting volunteers, who can sign up via the do_action website by adding their name and role to the charity of their choice.

“We’re also still accepting sponsorship from companies in the South West who would like to help provide funds for refreshments and lunch for our volunteers.”

Digital for good

The charities do_action volunteers will be building websites for on the day include Third Sector Solutions – a not-for-profit that provides employment and training support for unemployed people, Hands In The Air – a grass-roots charity offering a men’s mental health phone-line in Bristol that’s due to launch in Spring 2018 and GympanzeesCIC which is looking to create the UK’s first fully-inclusive activity and leisure centre for disabled children in the South West.

“The do_action day will be an opportunity to share knowledge, exchange skills, connect with new people and have fun”

Volunteers will also be supporting Horfield and District Allotment Association which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, along with Bristol Disability Equality Forum, a campaigning group that’s run by Deaf and Disabled people, for Deaf and Disabled people.

Tess adds: “The hackathon will run all day on Friday 23 Feb, from 8.30am-6pm with more time to socialise and celebrate the site’s launches in the evening.

“In addition to donating your time to help a worthy cause, the do_action day will be an opportunity to share knowledge, exchange skills, connect with new people and have fun, with coffee on tap, lunch and refreshments provided, plus the chance to work in DeskLodge for the day.”

Involved in the tech community since her first meetup back in 2013, Alice came on board as TechSPARK's Assistant Editor in 2014 and was promoted to Editor in 2018. She loves a good tech conference and has covered both local and international events over the years. She is also a sucker for anything that uses tech to do good in the world.
In her spare time she can usually be found exploring the great outdoors or taking part in some sort of ridiculous sporting challenge.